Metallic grave vault



Jan. 2, 1940'. I A. F. BECK METALLIC GRAVE VAULT Filed July 10, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l Z6- ZZ- 6 12 Jan. 2, 1940. A BECK I METALLIC GRAVE VAULT Filed July 10, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 of the vault, its contents and the superposed Patented Jan. 2, 1940 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE METALLIC GRAVE VAULT Allen F. Beck, Columbus, Ohio Application July 10, 1937, Serial No. 152,978

6 Claims., (CI. 27-35) This invention relates to improvements in metallic burial vaults of the type utilizing separable base and cover members wherein the, base is formed with an elevated horizontally disposed casket receiving platform and depending marginal flanges on which the'weight of the vault and its contents are received.

When a relatively heavy metallic burial vault and the contents thereof are placed. on the bottom of a grave with only the limited area of the marginal edges of the vault base in contact with the soil, it may happen that the combined weight soil, cause the base to sink into the soil or to become out of level, so that moisture and subsurface water may find entrance to the interior or the vault with resulting undesirable conditions.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a metallic burial vault wherein the base thereof, below the elevated casket receiving platform, is provided with metallic weight receiving horizontally placed panels which materially augment the soil engaging area of the vault base so that undesirable sinking or settling of the vault as a whole in a grave following interment will be prevented.

Another object of the invention resides in providing the longitudinal sides of the vault base with depending marginal ribs which are so arranged that' their lower surfaces will be disposed in a plane slightly below the plane of the base panels, so that said ribs may function as runners, without interference on the part of the panels and in facilitating sliding movement of the vault when positioned on a hard supporting surface.

A further object of the invention resides in providing said base with a manually controlled means for governing the operation of latching devices used in retaining the cover of such a vault in assembled relationship with the vault base, the latching devices and the operating mechanism therefor forming the subject matter 1 of my co-pending application Serial No. 179,165,

filed December 10, 1937.

For a further understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view looking upwardly toward the bottom of one end of a metallic grave vault made in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through one end of the metallic grave vault and disclosing more particularly the cross sectional formation of the area augmenting panels in the bottom of the vault base and the latch operating mechanism carried thereby;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken through the lower portion of the grave vault at one side thereof and disclosing the latch mechanism for uniting the cover of the vault with the base, the runner ribs of the vault base and the'reenforcing weight receiving panels in the bottom of the base;

Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken through the vault base and disclosing in plan one of the base panels and the latch operat ing mechanism carried thereby;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the operating lever for actuating the latch mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view disclosing the lever latching lug employed in holding the operating lever in a position retaining the spring actuated latching devices associated with the lever in retracted order, the plane of the figure being indicated by the line VI-VI of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the latch springs;

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of one of the latch devices;

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view taken through the lower portion of a vault which has been pro vided with a slightly modified type of base panel. Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral I designates the base section of a metallic grave vault and the numeral 2 the usual, open-bottomed cover section thereof. These parts are formed from pressed steel plate and are adapted to receive a casket and, when assembled, to protect the latter following interment.

The base section l, in the present instance, involves an elevated horizontalplatform 3, upon which the casket rests. The platform terminates in depending, marginally located side and end walls 4 and 5 respectively, which terminate at their lower edges in outwardly and horizontally disposed flanges 3, The flanges 6 of the side walls t terminate in relatively deep reenforcing runner ribs 1, while the corresponding flanges of the end walls 5 terminate in similar reenforcing ribs 8, which are not quite as deep as the ribs "5. By this construction, when the vault rests on a hard surface, only the ribs 1 engage with said surface so that the weight of the vault will be confined to a limited area permitting of convenient sliding movement of the vault along or over such a hard surface.

The cover section 2 includes vertical side and end walls 9 and i0 respectively which terminate tensions I2 which are inclined to engage with the slightly inclined side and end walls 3 and 5 of the base section.

In order to provide for an increased area of support for the vault, when the same is positioned in the bottom of a grave and to relieve the ribs 1 and 8 of the weight imposed thereon, as in former constructions, the present invention provides the base section I, at each end thereof, with a flat metallic plate or panel 13. is provided with spaced parallel longitudinally extending reenforcing ribs i l and with upwardly offset marginal flanges 85, which are Welded or otherwise secured as at it to the under surfaces of the horizontal flanges 6, so that said plates or panels will serve to mechanically strengthen the base construction and at the same time will provide a broad resting area upon which the weight of the vault is received when positioned on a soil bed.

Each plate or panel 23 occupies a horizontal plane spaced slightly above the bottom edges of the runner ribs '5, as disclosed in Fig. 3, so that the plates will not interfere with the operation of the runner ribs when the latter engage a hard unyielding base surface. However, the lower surfaces of the ribs 8 at the ends of the base secticn are disposed substantially in the same plane as the plates or panels. This arrangement pro vides a strong and substantial base construction which will resist settling of the vault when positioned on a soil bed and enables the weight of the vault to be better distributed on such a yielding bed than when the Weight is confined to the ribs *3 and 5, as heretofore.

In securing the cover and base sections together, in locked or assembled relationship, the side walls 5 of the base section, contiguous to each end of the vault, are provided with swinging latches ll of the type illustrated in Fig. 8. These latches are each formed to include a lip 53 which pivotally enters a slot 59 provided in an adjoining wall l, and positioned beneath the lip 18 is a U-shaped wire spring 2% of the type disclosed in Fig. 7. The U-shaped loop 29 of each spring engages with the inner surface of the latch and terminates in coil convoluticns 22, which in turn terminate in short leg projections 23, the latter engaging with the outer surface of the adjoining wall l adjacent to the slot l9. Each latch El includes a pair of side wings 2d which are received within guiding slots 25 provided in the walls l. By this construction, the latches are normally forced outwardly to assume the position disclosed in 3 so that the lower arcuate edges 213 of the wings it will be arranged over the upper edges of the extensions l2 provided on the base flanges of the cover section 2, preventing the elevation of the cover section when in assembled relationship with the base section. Each latch is also provided with a pocket El which is shaped to receive the U-shaped loop 2i of the spring 28 empioyed in connection therewith, confining said spring to its operating position.

To provide convenient means for retracting the latches and permitting of the separation of the cover section from the base section, each of the plates or panels 53 is provided centrally with an upwardly pressed bearing boss 28, the latter being centrally apertured to receive a headed Each plate or panel screw 28, the threaded shank of each screw pro- ,iecting below the upper wall of the boss 28 to receive a fastening nut 30. The shank of each of the bolts is squared as at 3| where it fits into the correspondingly formed opening provided therefor in the boss 28, so that the bolt does not rotate. Above the squared portion of the shank of the bolt, the said shank is provided below the head thereof, with a circular portion 32, about which is fulcrumed for .rocking movement the operating lever 33. A lever 33 is located at each end of the base of the vault and pivotally mounted as described. In its preferredform, each Connected with the hooks 3 1 of each lever are p the end loops 3'5 of a pair of twisted wire links which links have their end portions outturned as at 3% and are received within openings pro vided in the inner edges of the wings 2d of the latches ll.

Normally, the springs 20 of said latches serve to maintain the links 38 and the lever 33 in the position disclosed in Fig. l, with the latches in their active or extended positions.- However, to retract the latches to inactive or withdrawn 'positions, and thereby to permit of the removal of the cover section, it is necessary merely to rock levers by manual manipulation applied to the outer ends of the handles thereof so that each lever may be oscillated to an extent sufficient to move the latches to their retracted positions. The latches may be maintained so retracted by the engagement of a resilient lip All, formed with each of the panels or plates i 3. The lip is struck upwardly, as shown in Fig. 6, so that the free end thereof is disposed above the plane of the plate or panel from which it is formed.

Thus, when "the lever is moved to an extent suhicient to retract the latches, one edge of the handle of the lever will be positioned in engagement with the free end of. the cooperative lip so that the lever will be held in such engagement against the pull exercised by the springs 28. To release the lever, it is simply necessary to resiliently elevate the handle portion thereof so that the engagement between the lever and the lip til will be broken and the springs 2d allowed to act in further rocking the lever and 'moving the latches to their extended positions.

In the modified form shown in 9, the marginal flanges are omitted from the plate 53a and the flanges 6a of the vault base la are formed to include downwardly directed bosses ll. This type of panel is secured to the baseby spot weldthe former to the lower surfaces of the bosses. While panels of this form do not possess as much sliding movement of .the vault on hardor un yielding surfaces. The plates or panels !3 tie 1e side and end walls t and 5 of the base section,

together, producing greater mechanical strength.

Moreover, the plates or panels it provide a con-' venient base for the support of the mechanism V Tbeing spaced from the side and end Walls to i for effecting the simultaneous actuation of the spring pressed latches. I

What is claimed is: l I 1. A base section for metallic grave vaults comprising a sheet metal body formed to include a relatively elevated casket receiving platform, de

pending side and end'walls', outwardly directed flanges at the lower edges of said side and end formed with said flanges, and a metallic bear- I a sheet metal body formed to include an elevated" platform, depending side and end walls and outing plate'extending transversely of the base"sec tion and secured to said flanges, said plateyhaving the bearing surfaces thereof arranged in a horizontal plane spaced slightly above the base engaging surfaces ofsai'd runner ribs.

2. A base section for grave vaults comprising wardly' directed and longitudinaly ribbedbase flanges, and a plurality of flat weight supporting ribs of the flanges formed in connection with. the

' side walls of said base section being formed to end walls provided on said platform, alateraIly extend slightly below the horizontal plane of said platesto maintain the plates spaced above an.

unyielding base surface.

3. A base section for metallic grave vaults comprising a sheet metal body having a horizontally} extending platform, depending side and directed flange formed at the lower edges of saidside and end walls, longitudinally extending depending ribs formed with said flanges, said ribs being spaced from the side and end walls to said seats.

provide seats, and metallic bearing plates extending transversely of said base section, the; end and a side edge portion of said plates being positioned in engagement with and secured to 4. A base section for metallic grave vaults ribs at the sides of said base,

,cornprisingia sheet metal body having a horizontally extending platform, depending side and end walls provided on said platform, a laterally directed flange formed at the lower edges of said side and end walls, longitudinally extending depending ribsformed with said flanges, said ribs provide seats, metallic bearing plates extending a transversely of said base section near the ends thereof, and upwardly offset flanges provided at one side andthe end edges of each plate,

said flanges being secured to the seats on said base section.

5. A base section for metallic grave vaults I comprising a sheet metal body having'a horizontally extending platform, depending side and end walls provided on said platform, a laterally directed flange. formed at the lower edges of said side and'end walls, longitudinally extend ing depending ribs formed with said flanges, said ribs being spaced from the side and end walls to provide'seats, metallic bearing plates extending transversely of said base section near the for engagement with said seats, said flanges be-l ing secured to said seats.

v6. A base section for metallic grave vaults comprising a sheet metal body having a'horizon-. tally disposed platform, downwardly directed Walls provided at the sides and the ends of, 1

said platform, horizontal'flanges projecting from the lower edge of said side and end walls, longitudinallyextending depending ribs provided on said flanges, said ribs being spaced from said walls to provide seats at the-lower ends-of said walls, the ribs on the flanges at the side'sof said .basefprojecting a greater distance from, the

ALLEN F. BECK. 

